I have always been a heavier person, and my weight has steadily increased since high school. I reached the largest I have ever been last year. A number I so unimaginable I cried when I saw it. I was in a very unhealthy relationship, and I let it be an excuse to stop caring about myself. When I got away from that situation, I finally started taking charge of my life.Getting healthy both physically and mentally was my and is my main focus right now. Since I started my weight loss journey I have dropped about 62 pounds.

I told Chas when I started at Devetter Fitness, that I wanted to loose 100 lbs in my year here, and I have until August to make that come true. I am confident I can and will achieve this!

Long term, I have always said I want to run a marathon. Notwithstanding a current knee injury, I am already signed up for The 5k Color Run in July! I am making this change to a healthy lifestyle now at 26 so I can carry it through the rest of my life and teach my children some day. I never had the education or encouragement to be healthy and active growing up, so this is something really important to me.

What motivated you to call DeVetter Fitness and get serious about your goals?

Before coming to Devetter Fitness, I had been on Weight Watchers for a couple of months and lost about 15 lbs. I wanted to start exercising, but I realized I had no idea what I was doing. I knew from past experience that I get discouraged easily. I was not confident enough in myself at that point to push myself or hold myself accountable. I knew I needed expert help!

How have you changed during the process of this health and fitness journey that you are on?

I feel like a very different person. When I joined DeVetter Fitness, I was bouncing back from a bad breakup. I was depressed and needing to make a change in my life. I have found so much joy in changing my body into something I can be proud of. I am so much more aware of what is going in my body. I can see and feel the changes that have taken place. I have energy and confidence that I haven’t felt in years. What’s more, I feel like I can trust myself again. I haven’t given up when it has gotten hard. I have proven to myself that I can make a goal and stick to it. I have proven to myself that I am capable of enacting long term positive changes in my life. I feel so much better about myself, it is amazing. Being healthy is no longer a chore for me, it is just my life. I don’t even think about it, it’s how I exist now. I don’t ever want to go back to what I was before.

What have been the 3 most important things that have helped you with your success?

Learning patience. I did not gain all this weight in one day; it sure is not coming off in one day. It doesn’t matter how long this takes as long as it is happening. 6 months from now I will look back and think, “Wow that went by so fast!” I can’t get discouraged if the scale doesn’t go down every day. Perseverance is my new mantra.

Allowing myself to be human. I am not going to be 100% good every single day. I am going to go out to the bars with my friends. I am going to have a piece of birthday cake. There are moments in life that are going to involve food or missing a workout that I am going to enjoy. There is no point in going through all of this if I end up missing out on the fun times. That also doesn’t mean I need to drink a bottle of wine every week!

Bad days (or even weeks) are going to happen. There are times when I get frustrated, where the scale goes up despite my doing everything right. There are times where I think, “Why is this so hard for me and not everyone else? Do I really need to try this hard for the rest of my life? This is so stupid!” I get tired of having to watch everything I eat and having to make time to work out after my long work day. It can be exhausting. The thing is, I allow myself to feel this way. There are days, and I have even had entire weeks where I say, “Screw it!” and don’t count calories or work out. Sometimes, taking a break is what I need to recharge. I don’t let this become a permanent situation though. I have my break, take a breath, and get up and get going again.

What is your favorite exercise?

Squats!! Jump squats, goblet squats, lunges, you name it. The burn you get in your glutes = best feeling ever. I love feeling like I have strong legs. I love the definition I am finally getting too.

What is your favorite healthy food and favorite cheat item?

Favorite healthy food is a tie between pineapple and turkey. I could eat pineapple for days. Favorite cheat item is definitely Vic’s popcorn (a mix of half salt and cheese… Mmmm). Oh and wine. I LOVE wine.

What tips do you have for any one has goals of losing 30, 40, 50 pounds or more?

I used to always be the person that would lose 10 lbs, get frustrated when I stalled, and then give up and gain 15 back. Don’t look at it as the big picture. I want to loose 100 lbs in a year. That’s crazy, right!? The number itself is SO intimidating and scary. Break it down into small, attainable goals. 100 lbs sounds impossible. 1-2 pounds this week is MUCH more attainable. Some weeks, you’ll loose 1 lb, some weeks you’ll loose 3, and some weeks you might gain. The point is to never give up. The small ups and downs on a daily basis are not worth stressing over! Weigh yourself once a week and that’s it. Put the scale in the closet. Consistency over the long term is what we are all after.